Riser for bubble cap assembly



March 19, 1957 1 P.^"WANs|NK ETAL 2,785,882

BIBBR B0B BUBBLE CAP ASSEMBLY Filed July 27. 195s United States Patent O RISER FOR BUBBLE CAP ASSEMBLY Leo Paul Wansink, Venice, and Charles L. Haynes, Flintridge, Calif., assignors to C. F. Braun & Co., Alhambra, Calif., a corporation of Califomla Application July 27, 1953, Serial No. 370,452

4 Claims. (Cl. 261-114) This invention relates to a bubble cap and riser assembly of the type used in liquid-vapor contact apparatus. Such apparatus is commonly employed 1n connection with processes for the relining of petroleum. Thls invention is particularly directed to improvements over the construction shown in the copending application of Charles L. Haynes for Bubble Cap, filed July 6, 1948 (Serial No. 37,234), now Patent No. 2,602,652, issued July 18, 1952, and consitutes a continuation-impart of our copending application filed September 26, 1949, Serial No. 117,908, and entitled Bubble Cap and Riser Assembly, now Patent No. 2,650,809, issued September 1, 1953.

An important object of this invention is to provide an improved unitary assembly wherein the cap and riser are permanently xed together so that they may be 1nstalled and removed from the upperside of the -tray plate as a single integral unit, and not as separate loose pieces.

Another object is to provide an improved bubble cap and riser assembly of this type which is particularly adapted for production in quantity from light gauge sheet stock by means of punch-press operations.

Another object is to provide an improved form of re leasable clamping device for securing the unitary assembly in position on the tray plate.

Another object is to provide an improved form of cylindrica1 riser which is rolled or stamped from sheet stock. Other and more detailed objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

In the drawings: h

Figure l is a plan view, partly broken away, showing a bubble cap and riser assembly embodying our invention.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation, the parts of the asric men work in pairs, one above the tray plate and one below it, in order to install or remove the assemblies 10.

The riser 13 is constructed by forming a at rectangular strip of suitable material 17 into a cylinder so that the ends 18 and 19 of the strip are in direct abutting contact, and so that the tab 185 projects into the socket 19a.

' The sides of the tab and recess are tapered as shown to hold the ends 18 and 19 against separation. After the cylinder is formed, a plurality of radially projecting and circumferentially extending creases or beads 20 are forced into the wall of the strip 17. These distorted portions 2i) project beyond the outer surface 21 of the t relation under compression, and it provides a shoulder for supporting the bubble cap and riser assembly 10= upon the tray plate 11. ange 23 forms this supporting shoulder and also serves; to stiffen the ring 22 so that the riser is not easily dis 1 torted out of its cylindrical shape. The lower surface of sembly being illustrated in operative position upon the tray plate.

Figure 3 is a sectional view similar to Figure 2, but with the parts of the assembly being illustrated in released position preparatory to removal of the assembly from the tray plate.

Figure 4 is a sectional plan view of the riser, taken substantially on line 4-4 as shown on Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an enlarged view showing a side elevation of the latching cam which constitutes an element of the clamping device.

Figure 6 is a perspective View thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

The bubble cap and riser assembly, generally desigthe flange 23 is spaced axially from the lower end 24 of the riser cylinder so that the latter may extend into a tray plate opening 25 and serve as a pilot for locating the assembly 1t?.

The post elements 16 which connect the riser 13 to the bubble cap 14 are preferably formed of flat sheet stock and each is provided with projecting tabs 26, 27 and 28. The side tabs 26 and 27 extend through apertures in the wall of the riser cylinder and are bent in opposite directions, as shown in Figure 1, to secure the post elements 16 to the riser 13. The upper tabs 28 extend through apertures in the upper surface 29 of the bubble cap 14 and are bent over to secure the post elements 16 to the bubble cap 14. The post elements 16 thus serve to unite the riser 13 and bubble cap 14 so that they comprise a single unit for handling, and for installation and removal.

The hold-down device, generally designated 15, includes a Wishbone member 30 which is preferably stamped from a flat sheet of suitable material. This member 30 is provided with a pair of laterally extending feet 31 and 32, and the maximum distance between the extremities of these feet is greater than the diameter of the openings 25 in the tray plate 11, so that the feet 31 and 32 may each underlie a portion of the tray plate 11.

` An upwardly facing Contact shoulder 33 is provided on nated 10, is adapted to rest upon an apertured tray plate Y 11. `The assembly 10 includes the cylindrical riser 13, the encircling bubble cap 14 and the hold-down device 15. The riser 13 and bubble cap 14 are permanently connected by a plurality of upright post elements 16 and the hold-down device 15 is attached to the bubble cap 14. The assembly 10, therefore, may be installed and removed from the tray plate 11 as a single unit and not as a series of separate loose pieces. Furthermore, the assembly 10 may be positioned on the tray plate 11 and secured in place by only one man working from the upper side of the tray plate 11. It is therefore unnecessary that each of the feet 31 and 32 and these shoulders 33 engage the underside of the tray plate 11.

The hold-down device 15 also includes a cam element 34 which is connected by pivot pin 35 to the upwardly projecting neck 36 provided on the Wishbone member 30. The neck 36 projects through a slot 37 in the upper surface 29 of the bubble cap 14. The Wishbone member 30 is assembled with respect to the bubble cap 14 by moving the neck 36 upwardly through the slot 37 and then attaching the cam element 34 by means of the pivot pin 35 A lost motion `connection is Vthus provided between `the bubble cap 14 and the hold-down member or Wishbone. Accidental or inadvertent disassembly of the bubble cap 14 and hold-clown device 15 is thereby prevented. Since the width of the slot 37 is greater than the width of the neck 36, the hold-down device 15 may have lateral swinging movement within the bubble cap 14.

The element 34 is provided with parallel wing portions 38 which are spaced to define a central slot for reception of the upper end of the neck 36. The wing portions 38 A radial extending annular have similar cam surfaces 39 each provided with a series of rounded projections 40. The crests of the projections in this series are not uniformly spaced from the axis of the pivot pin, but on the contrary the spacing increases uniformly, step-by-step, from first projection 40 to the last projection 40h. Each of the projections in the series on each wing portion 38 is adapted to cooperate with one of a pair of dimples or small raised portions 41 formed inthe upper surface 29 of the bubble cap 14 on opposite sides of the slot 37.

When the bubble cap and riser assembly is to be clamped in place the cam element 34 is turned in a clockwise direction (as viewed in Figure 5) about the pivot pin 35. The coaction between the cam surfaces 39 and the upper portion of the bubble cap 14 serves to raise the neck 36 of the hold-down member 36 and thereby bring the shoulders 33 on the feet 31 and 32 into engagement with the underside of the tray plate l1. The projections and dimples 41 maintain the cani element 34 in -latched position. A limit stop 42 is provided on each of the wing portions 33 of the cam element. These limit stops 42 engage the upper surface 29 of the bubble cap 14 to limit turning movement of the earn element in a direction to tighten the hold-down device. A relief portion 43 is also provided on the cam element 341 As shown in Figure 3, when the cam element 34 is turned to bring the relief portion t3 into a position parallel with the upper surface 29 of the bubble cap 14, the hold-down member 30 may vdown member into the tray plate aperature 25. This action is facilitated by the looseness of the neck 36 within the slot 37 which enables the hold-down device 15 to have limited lateral swinging movement relative to the bubble cap and riser. The lower skirt portion 24 of the riser 13 is then lowered into the opening 25 to act as a pilot, and the ange 23 on the ring 22 rests upon the tray plate 11. The carn element 34 is then turned in a clockwise direction as viewed in the drawings to bring the feet 31 and 32 into engagement with the underside of the tray plate 11, and thus prevent displacement of the assembly 1). The hold-down device 15 is automatically centered Within the riser 13 by cooperative engagement of the tapered surfaces 45 with the lower end of the riser 13 as the holddown device 15 is raised by means of the cam element 34. In operative position the surfaces 46 t loosely within the bore of the riser 13.

To remove the `assembly 10 from the tray plate 11, the cam element is returned to the inoperative position shown in Figure 3. Suthcient relative movement is then permitted between the riser 13 and hold-down member 30. to permit the riser 13 and bubble cap 14 to be raised as a unit until the lower skirt 24 on the riser 13 is withdrawn clear of the tray plate opening 25. The assembly 16 may then be shifted to one side and tilted to enable the feet 31 and 32 of the hold-down member 36 to be withdrawn from the opening 25.

Having fully described our invention, it is to be' understood that we do not wish to be limited to the details herein set forth, but our invention is of the full scope of the appended claims.

We claim: l

1. A riser for use in a bubble cap and riser assembly of the type described,l comprising: a cylinder formed from a strip of material, the end s of the strip forming a butt joint in the cylinder, a continuous joint-free ring mounted on and encircling the cylinder and maintaining the abut ting ends of the strip under compression, the ring having a radially extending annularsnpporting flange near one end ot' the cylinder but spaced axially therefrom, the strip of material forming the cylinder having localized deformed portions projecting radially outwardly beyond the surf-ace of the cylinder to prevent axial movement of the ring relative to the cylinder. n

2. A riser for use in a bubble cap and riser assembly of the type described, comprising: a cylinder formed from a rectangular strip of material, the ends of the strip forming an axial butt joint in the cylinder, a continuous jointring tightly encircling the cylinder and maintaining the abutting ends of the strip under compression, the ring having a radially extending annular supporting iiange near one cndof the cylinder but spaced axially therefrom, the strip of material forming the cylinder having circumfercntially extending deformed' portions projecting radially outwardly beyond the surface of the cylinder to prevent axial movement of the ring relative to thc cylinder.

3, A riser for use in a bubble cap and riser assembly of the type described, comprising: a cylinder formed from a strip of material, the ends of the strip forming a butt joint in the cylinder, av tab on one end of the strip received within a recess on the other end of the strip to prevent separation of said ends, a continuous joint-free ring mounted on and encircling the cylinder and maintaining thc abutting ends of the strip under compression, the ring having a radially extending annular supporting flange near one endof the cylinder but spaced axially therefrom, the strip of material forming the cylinder having localized deformed portions projecting radially outwardly beyond the surface ot' the cylinder to prevent axial movement of the ring relative tothe cylinder.

4. A riser for use in a bubble cap and riser assembly of the t-ype described, comprising: a cylinder formed from a rectangular strip of material, the ends of the strip forniing an axial butt joint in the cylinder, a tab on one end of the strip received within a recess on the other end of the strip to prevent separation of said ends, a continuous joint-free ring tightly encircling the cylinder and maintaining the abutting ends of the strip under compression, vthe ring having a radially extending annular supporting flange near one end of the cylinder but spaced axially therefrom, the strip of material forming the cylinder hav` ing circumferentially extending deformed portions projecting radially outwardly beyond the surface of the cylinder to prevent axial movement of the ring relative to thc cylinder.

ReferencesI Cited inthe le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 555,932 Curtis Mar. 10, 1896 1,876,179 Tindall Sept. 6, 1932 2,107,588 VSmith Feb. 8, 1938 1 2,521.0,5-56 Collins et al. June 6, 1950 2,578,881 Dunn Dec. 18, 1951 2,612,360 Hayne'set al. Sept. 30, 1952 2,650,809 Wansink et al Sept. l, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 593,559 Germany Feb. 2s, 1934 11,4, Mui( n. A mail lul 

